Page 5 of Hot Life

My brilliant, meddlesome, surgeon husband had returned to picking up surgeries at hospitals nearby. I thought the positive prenatal appointment set his mind at ease enough to leave for twenty-four to forty-eight hours at a time. My rugged and bearded husband was in and out, chasing the best golden light and scouting photography locations. He’d invited me to come along several times, but with the humid Georgia heat sweltering in mid-June, I’d declined. Although my men were busy, my sister and her wife more than made up for their absence. My second bowl of blueberry and walnut oatmeal steamed as I licked the spoon. “I’ll add oatmeal to the foods baby likes list,” Caroline chimed from a sink full of dishes.

“Krill does seem fond of blueberries,” I muttered, suddenly wanting a loaf of garlic bread instead. Pregnancy was weird.

My sister, Odette, guffawed. “That is the worst nickname I’ve ever heard.”

“Then I’ll be sure to consider it for its actual name,” I sneered jokingly.

“I can’t wait until we find out if it’s a girl or boy so we can stop saying it,” Odie replied, shoveling a palmful of blueberries from a bowl on the table.

My chest tightened, and all I wanted was to change the subject. “I don’t want to find out the gender. Anyway—”

My sister slammed her hands on the table dramatically. “No! I have to know. I won’t survive, Dolly. I need to know what colors to buy. Dresses or suspenders? Hair bows or newsboy caps?”

My mouth hung open. I was without the energy to argue with her. Luckily her wife cut in, snapping her with a rag. “Shush, Dolly’s in charge. And gender is a construct, anyway.”

“Exactly,” I beamed, smugly eliciting a huff and eye roll from Odie.

She ran a freckled hand through her newly cut, shoulder-length red hair. “Lord have mercy.”

I snorted. “Now you sound like Mom.”

I paused my spoon in my mouth, knowing I’d just invited a worse conversation than baby gender.

“Speaking of Mom, when are you going to tell them the happy news?”

I winced. “Never?”

“Dolly!” I think I saw literal steam coming from her head, while Caroline only giggled at her antics. “You have to tell them. It’s their first and only grandchild. Mom is going to go nuts—”

“She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to, Odette.” Caroline placed a soft hand on my sister’s shoulder before glancing at me, looking torn. “But you probably should tell them soon, Dolly. You’re starting to show, and your parents live right down the road. How upset would your mom be to run into you pregnant at the grocery store?”

I slumped back in my seat. “Well, the only place I travel these days is from the bedroom to the kitchen.”

“Now who’s dramatic?” My sister mocked my suffering. I knew they were all right. A sigh shook through me, and the bad thoughts were back. You can’t do this. You aren’t good enough. You don’t even want to know if it’s a girl or a boy. What’s wrong with you?

A gruff voice pulled me like a life raft from an undertow of doubt. “There’s my beautiful wife.” Desmond bounded into the kitchen, smelling like dirt, covered in mud.

“I thought you were shooting all day today?” I asked, squeezing his forearms as they wrapped around me. I didn’t even care if my white shirt got filthy with whatever he was covered in.

Des released me with a kiss atop my head before moving to the counters and pulling out a loaf of bread. “I got all set up at sunrise at The Blue Sky Preserve only for it to rain the moment I got a look at a blue heron.” He sighed as he assembled his sandwich. “But that leaves me free to spend the day with my best girl.”

A smile curved my lips as butterflies fluttered. I wondered if those butterflies would stay, even when we were old and grey. I hoped so. I’d fight every day until forever to keep them securely locked in the cage of my ribs.

Before I could respond, Odette interjected. “It’s good you’re here. We have some things to discuss.”

Des snorted, gesturing his butter knife between Caroline and my sister. “Your wife is unhinged. You know that, right?”

“She has been having more and more spells of hysteria lately,” Caroline remarked with a grin.

Odie narrowed her gaze at Des, and I laughed for the first time in what seemed like a long while. Caroline and Desmond were similar in many ways, and it was immensely entertaining when they teamed up to pick on my sister. My husband sat with an exaggerated sigh and pulled my chair flush to his so our legs were touching. If I was in the room, there was always a physical source of contact between us. It was something I loved about him. “Alright, lay it on me, sis.”

Odette crossed her arms. “You guys need to tell my parents. I’m sick of lying to Mom and Dad about why Dolly hasn’t been coming around.”

“Agreed. Next?”

My mouth dropped as I looked to him. He’d told his father last week. A quick text message followed by a congratulations. If only my mother and daughter world could be so simple. He only took a big bite of turkey and cheese and shrugged. “What? She’s right for a change.”

“I’m always right. Next, I want to know the gender of the baby. Your ultrasound is in two weeks.”

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